Her Search For Happiness
by TributeWitch
Summary: After the war, Katniss realises that she needs to live her life. Her only source of happiness is Gale, but he's in District 2. After a different change of events, Katniss and Gale's reunion is not one that you would expect.Will he still love her? Or will Prim's death create a barrier between them that will never be broken? I guess only time will tell. {Post-Mockingjay, Galeniss}
1. Inspiration

**A/N Hello everyone! This is TributeWitch with her first fanfic! Feel free to review or PM me :) By the way, this first chapter just explains the story and sets the scene so it is a tad bit boring so bear with me! **

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old, nearly eighteen. I am back in District 12. Prim is dead. My mother has left me. I have lost the will to live.

Since Prim had died, I feel like a piece of my heart has been ripped out and no one can repair it.  
I have shut everyone out and I am mute again. Greasy Sae comes everyday to bring me food, but she just keeps quiet, and I'm thankful for that because I'm not in the mood to talk and I don't think I will ever be.

I haven't seen Peeta for a while; actually I haven't even been out of the house at all. Sometimes I think of going to the woods, but I always dismissed it. Because it reminds me of _him. _The man who probably killed Prim. The man who went to District 2. I hate him, but I can never erase all the happy memories we had together in the woods or anywhere for that matter. Sometimes I feel like committing suicide but deep down I know I will never be brave enough to do that. Everything I had ever loved has left me except Peeta, but now I am rethinking my feelings for him. Do I really love the boy with the bread? Does he really love me back? After he was hijacked by the Capitol, nothing was really the same anymore.

I miss my father, Cinna, Finnick, Madge, heck even my mother. But especially Prim and sometimes even Gale.

The only thing I do nowadays is eat, sleep, go to the bathroom and think. I wonder what Gale is doing right now. Probably kissing another girl, he might even be in a serious relationship, engaged. He is very attractive so all those options are possible. But my gut instinct tells me that he is alone. And he's probably missing me too.

The phone is ringing, it's most likely Doctor Aurelius. I know his habits; he rings once or twice then gives up so I just let it ring. I am surprised when it continues to ring after a fourth time. I decide to stand up and pull the plug of the telephone. Before I do that though, I glance at the fancy telephone that came with this house. It's not Doctor Aurelius. It's _**Gale.**_ At first I am confused as to why he is saved on my house phone, usually the phone just shows the number if it is foreign, but I vaguely remember Greasy Sae telling me that she saved some numbers on my house phone so if i want to call anybody I will know their number, so that must be why.

Anger, confusement and panic sweeps over me. Why would Gale call me? I haven't spoken to him since I left the Capitol which has been nearly a year I think. Maybe even more since I don't keep track of time. I decide to pull the plug since I have no intentions of talking to him. Not now, not ever. I feel cowardly though, since it isn't my nature to hide away from something. But I can't help but feel curious, what does he want? He knows that it is probably his bomb that killed Prim, and he also knows that I will never forgive him.

I decide to take a shower since I haven't taken one for over a week and also so that hopefully the cold water clears my head a bit. I step in the shower and I start to sing. I sound like a dying frog since I haven't let a sound escape my mouth for over a month now. I sing the lullaby that I used to sing to Prim every time she had a nightmare and sadness overcomes me. I start crying quietly but then I end up collapsing and lying on the ground of the shower sobbing uncontrollably whilst the cold water is still running

I must have cried myself to sleep because the next thing I see is Greasy Sae lifting me up or should I say dragging. That bony old woman is really weak.I should feel embarrassed but I actually don't really care. I glance at the mirror quickly and I see myself for the first time in weeks my hair still wet from the water, my bones clearly visible, and the distant look in my eyes. I am most likely insane but no one has had the heart to tell me. Greasy Sae brings me to my room while Samira, her granddaughter hands me a glass of water. I think her sanity has improved; she's no longer in her own little world all the time. Greasy Sae starts to dress me. I realize that she has put me in my hunting clothes. I stare at her.

"You should go out, girl. Get some fresh air. Bring me some game, if possible. I miss squirrels and wild turkeys. I don't really have the taste for the fancy chickens and beef." Says Greasy Sae softly.

"I don't have my bow" I barely whisper

"Check the cupboard in your office"

I nod at her. I walk slowly to my office and checked my cupboard at the end of the room and, sure enough it was there. I haven't been in this room for ages. I'm always in front of the fire in my rocking chair.

I haven't touched a bow since I shot Coin. My shooting skills are most likely mediocre at best now. I remember how much I miss the woods when I lift it up. I decide to go out; I mean how much harm can it be?

I say goodbye to Greasy Sae and her grand daughter and begin my short trek to the meadow. I crouch down and enter at the two foot stretch that me and Gale always entered at. Once I'm in I remember the part of the fence that was broken down by Gale when he evacuated the people to District 13. Well old habits stay with you forever. I smile when I enter the forest, my first smile in months. This is my home. Today has the perfect weather, not too cold but not too hot. The nice gentle breeze of spring sweeps by me. It's April and nearly my birthday but I couldn't care less, I never celebrated even after I won my first Games. I walk to our meeting place rock but it feels so bare without another person sitting beside me. I shoot a couple of squirrels, not my usual clean shot through the eye but it will do.

_~A few hours later, still at the rock~_

I feel like such a coward. Shutting myself out from everyone and not enjoying life. I miss Gale so much. I wish I could see him, hug him. I loved him and he loves or at least loved me. It's not possible of course, he loves in District Two and travel between Districts is forbidden- wait. No it isn't! Ever since Paylor became she has made regular trains go from District to Districts so friends can be reunited wherever they live and visit each other! An idea pops into my head. I am not going to spend my life with depression and misery. I can't blame Gale forever. He barely knew about the bomb.

I argue with myself momentarily because I shouldn't forgive someone so easily and I shouldn't make drastic decisions in a second. But I have made my mind up.

I will go and find Gale in District 2 no matter what it takes.

**A/N Dun dun dun! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, feedbacks are welcome :)**


	2. Train

**A/N I can't believe I got 6 reviews! I wasn't even expecting one, lol. This is a short filler chapter; so again, it might be a tad bit boring :)**

I run back to the fence and head to the newly built train station. I don't recognize the woman at the counter; she's probably from another district. The only train that goes to District Two this week is tomorrow at 5.00 in the morning. I debate on whether I should take this one or next week's one, but then I realize I can't wait anymore. I buy the tickets and head to Greasy Sae's house, I drop my game there, refusing to accept her coins, but not mentioning my plans for tomorrow.

When I get home, I start packing my things. I remember my mother had a secret box filled with coins for emergencies. I head to the office and start looking for it. I easily find it in the back of the filing cabinet because my mother is very predictable, I feel kind of guilty, but then again, it is my money that I had won. I find a little pouch a put all of the coins in it. I take a piece of paper and I write a little note:

Dear Sae and Samira,  
I am safe, I am going to another district but I will come back. I hope. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I left you some money because I want to thank you for taking care of me for all these months. Please take them. You are the closest thing to family I have now.

Thank you again,  
Katniss

I put the note on the dining table now because I know I will forget to do it tomorrow. I go to my room and try to sleep in my bed for the first time in months. It takes me a whole 15 minutes to realise that I won't fall asleep. It feels so stuffy in my room so I go to balcony and I sit on the cold rough ground. This reminds me of my encounter with Peeta on the roof of the Training Center. Should I tell him? No, he'll try to stop me or want to go with me so I'm safe. I know that they built a new bakery next to the train station and he works there. Hopefully I don't run into him.

A million things go through my mind. It's hard to believe that less than 24 hours ago I was a sad and miserable girl, not living life. Still grieving her sister's death even though she will never come back. She would have wanted me to move on and continue with my life. I feel so stupid. I should really thank Greasy Sae for motivating me.

Soon, it is nearly time to go. I decide to wear a purple flowy top and some skinny jeans that Haymitch brought to me from the Capitol. I pack my hunting jacket in my backpack just in case I get cold. I lace up my hunting boots and I'm ready to go. I look at the clock on the wall and it says that it is already 4:30 am so I head out of the house since I don't want to miss the train, but also because the walk to the station from my house takes 15 minutes.

I start walking to the station from my house and then I see him. Peeta. This is exactly what I didn't want. Hopefully he doesn't see me, the sky is still fairly dark. I use my soft hunter treads to walk because I don't him to see me but thankfully he is still around 20 meters in front of me. I quickly walk to the station once I see him going in the bakery. Phew. My train is leaving in 5 minutes and we aren't allowed to go in yet so I patiently wait on the benches. Thankfully it doesn't take long until the train conductor tells me to go in. The train is fairly small and only around 10 people go in, but then again I think, why would someone from district 12 go to district 2? I take seat next to a window and I fall into daydream land.

~Gale's POV~ (This was yesterday, when Katniss receives a phone call)

"Hey Posy, can you call Ma to ask her when she's coming to pick you up?"

"Okay Gayul" Posy replies, she still can't pronounce my name right. Even though she's already 6.

My mother had to go shopping today so I told her I would babysit the kids at my new house that came with my job. I start washing the dishes when I notice that Posy had been gone for a long time. Does it really take that long to call someone? I go to find Posy lying on the couch, my phone next to her ear.

"Posy! Did you call Ma yet?" I ask her

"No, I'm calling Katniss" Posy replies sweetly

"WHAT?! You shouldn't call Katniss! Give me that phone now!" I yell at her

"But I miss her Gayul, can I talk to her please? Please?"

"NO, YOU CAN'T! Now give me that phone now." I tell her firmly.

She gives me the phone reluctantly. I regret saving Katniss' number on my phone. I wonder what she's doing now. Kissing Peeta probably. I miss her, but I know she won't ever forgive me for possibly killing her sister. I suddenly remember to call my mom.

**A/N Thanks for reading! If you have any ideas for this story, please send them to me, because I don't really know where this fic is going, I'm just making it up as I go along. BTW, did you like that I switched POV's? Should I continue like this or should I just stick with Katniss?  
**


	3. Delly

_~Katniss' POV~_

I wake up suddenly, where am I? I am momentarily confused but then I remember that I am on a train to District 2. The train has stopped moving, they probably stopped to refuel. This train is very different from the ones that I took to the Capitol; this one just has rows of seats consisting of 2 seats facing towards the direction the train is moving. I look around the train and I see two other people in my carriage, and very business looking man sitting 4 rows in front of me and a small, blonde woman who reminds me of someone, but I'm not sure who ,sits behind me. I look out of the window and I see a man going in our train, but in a carriage in front of ours. He's most likely a passenger who went outside to get fresh air. I'm hungry so I eat a cracker that I brought from my house. From the position of the sun, it looks as though it is around 1.00 pm. I didn't sleep at all last night, so that must be why I slept for so long. The woman at the counter in the train station said that the journey would take around 12 hours so we must be 4 hours away from District 2. I wonder where we are, District 5? 6? 7? I think we are in District 7 because there are lots of trees around the vast piece of land and I remember it from my Victory Tour, although I might just be mixing the districts around. I hear a faint sound of snoring; it's the business-y man.

I look through the gap of my chair and the chair next to me and I see the small woman. She catches my eye and smiles at me. I smile back. She looks familiar. The woman's hair is chin-length but I imagine her with long hair. Then I realize who it is.

"Delly?!" I ask, absolutely surprised

"Hello Katniss!" She says with a smile

"What are you doing here?" I ask in a friendly tone, or as friendly as I can get

"I've been touring all the districts, it was my dream as a little girl. And now, since Paylor became president, my dreams came true." She explains

I haven't seen her after the rebellion so I'm not sure whether she still lives in District 12 or not

"I live in District 4 now, 2 is my last stop" she says, reading my mind

"That's very cool, Delly. I never thought of that."

"Come and sit here" I say patting the chair next to me.

She comes up and sits next to me. We talk about her life in district 4 for an hour before she finally asks about my life.

"What about you Katniss, what brings you to district two?" She asks curiously. Since I talked to her, she hasn't stopped smiling at all. This girl is bright ray of sunshine.

"I, um um" I stammer

"I heard Gale lives there now; Peeta told me when I visited him whilst I was in district 12. Did you come to see him?"

She has read my mind once again.

"Uh umm" I've never been good with words so I just look down to leg

"You can tell me, you know" she replies sweetly

"Yes, I did." I mumble

Before she gets the chance to say anything we are interrupted by a loud crash. We turn around to see what was happening and I see the man. The man who snuck in when the train stopped. He walks through the aisle and stops where me and Delly are sitting at. I notice he is holding a gun.

"Hello girl on fire. Get ready to be put out."

I gasp.

"Thanks for igniting a rebellion and putting my people through hell" he says with an evil grin on his face

He points his gun to my head and Delly lets out an ear-piercing scream.

"Haha. Not so fast. I want your death to be torturous and painful. Just like the Capitol's was."

**A/N Finally some action in this story! Sorry if this was short, it was just a good place to stop**


	4. Attack

This is my fault. All of it. So many people have died for me, for my stupid act in the 74th Hunger Games. And I hate myself for it.

Me and Delly, who is currently sleeping, have been shoved into a small cupboard by the Capitol soldier earlier. I push the cupboard door open slightly and I peer out.

From of the corner of my eye I see something. It's the business-y man from our carriage, crawling underneath a chair.

"Mockingjay! Get back in! I'll get help!" he whispers harshly

He points at his phone indicating he will call someone. I decide to trust him because he reminds me of Boggs. And the fact that he called me Mockingjay. Last time someone called me that was right before I killed Coin.

I close the cupboard door and I lean back. I must have been in here for an hour or so, and my back is starting to hurt. Suddenly, the train stopped. Great. It can either be that we are being rescued, or they took over the train. I suspect the latter. I close my eyes, trying to sleep. I mean what else can I do? I don't even hope that someone comes and rescues me, because I deserve to die. I wonder if I'll meet the people I killed when I go to heaven. Wait, I'm not going to heaven. Just hell.

_~Gale's POV~_

It's 3, so it's nearly the end of my workday and I'm so glad. At 6 I'll be able to go to my family's house and eat a special dinner that my mother cooked. It's Vick's 12th birthday so we are celebrating. If we were still in Snow's control, this would be a terrible day because from now on Vick would be eligible for the Hunger Games, but thankfully that cruel, horrendous idiot is dead.

I'm sorting out some papers when the phone rings. I lead a rescue team in District 2 so there must be some emergency somewhere. The weird thing is, if there is an emergency it usually goes to the secretary and then passed to me. Well, what difference does it make? I take a look at the screen and it's my boss. Lance Preston, one of the most important double agent from the Capitol who was one of Plutarch Heavensbee's good friends. I know he's in District 12 for a meeting with new the mayor there and he's coming back tomorrow but this is the first time he's called me on my office phone, because I have a personal phone but I never really use it because I still can't get used to these fancy technology even after a year of living in District 2.

I pick up the phone and before I get a chance to say hello Preston harshly whispers:

''Hawthorne! I need you to send me us a rescue team immediately! Some Capitol soldiers have hijacked the train I'm in and we're stuck in the tunnel to enter 2! Hurry up and use a hovercraft, and lots of soldiers!''

Before I get a chance to say anything back he has already gone.

I summon my rescue team of around 20 and briefly tell them our battle strategy and then we quickly hop on two small hovercrafts, splitting into teams of ten so we can block the entrance and exit. It doesn't take long to reach the tunnel since it's fairly near. We climb down the rope ladder and head to the front of the tunnel, whilst the other team block the back in case they try to escape. Preston didn't tell me how many Capitol Soldiers there are, but I'm guessing we outnumber them since Capitolites are nearly extinct.

One of the bigger soldiers in my rescue team slams himself into the train door several times before it finally opens. We find the Capitol people in the first carriage discussing their plan when we attack them. They must have been very stupid and deaf not to hear us come in. I guess we got lucky. I'm guessing there are some more Capitol Soldiers in the train, so I handcuff them and I instruct some soldiers to go back to the hovercraft at the entrance. Me and 2 other soldiers check every carriage and lead the passengers to safety. We find a Capitol Soldier hiding cowardly in a small cupboard and we cuff him then bring him back to the hovercraft. Since the train is very small it doesn't take us long to get to the end and we repeat the procedure. Check every cupboard. Under chairs. Toilets. When we were nearly finished and ready to go, I see a small hidden cupboard by the back and I decide to check it.

I get the biggest shock of my life when I see who is in it.

Katniss and another girl.

Her eyes flutter open and shock registers her face.

''Hey Catnip.'' I mutter, trying to keep calm

''Gale''

**A/N Ooh excitement! Didn't expect their reunion to turn out this way, eh?**

**If you have any ideas for this story, make sure to send me a PM or leave it in a review! I want to thank FirePearl97 for giving me permission to use her idea that she used in her FanFic ''Always and Forever'' (which is an amazing story, go check it out!) of Capitol rebels/soldiers attacking a train (or a ship, in her case) Review/Fav/Follow if you enjoyed it! :)**


	5. Rescue

The word shock is an understatement.

First of all, I thought it was just a Capitol soldier coming to finish me off. I certainly was not expecting Gale and my reunion to end up like this.

The business-y man I met is called Preston. After he called a rescue team, he came in the cupboard with me and Delly. He did not mention Gale at all. He could have given me a warning. He probably knows about our relationship.

I realize that I have been staring at him for a while now. He probably thinks I'm nuts. I probably am nuts. I don't think Gale saw Preston yet, he's sleeping in the corner next to the door so he must have been out of eyesight.

"Hey Catnip" he mutters

I am still in shock. I don't want him here. I want to die.

There's so much I want to tell and ask him but I only manage by saying his name.

"Gale"

I stare into his eyes which are the exact same shade of grey as mine and he stares into mine. Delly and Preston still haven't woken up and I don't blame them, they must be exhausted. Gale looks more attractive, if that is even possible. A boy, who doesn't look older than 18 comes by and helps me get up. Gale rouses Delly and Preston up, they seem momentarily confused, but they don't ask any questions. Delly's head has swollen a bit because she refused to get in the cupboard, but they still shoved her in here and kicked her head. We get out of the train and a medic team greets us. After they applied some type of gel to Delly's head, we head to the hovercraft. The people in there open the door and hold out a ramp. We head in with me in the front and Delly in the back. Just as we are about to enter, I hear an ear piercing shriek.

It's Delly.

I look over my shoulder and I she has been shot with a poison arrow. Gale immediately sees the shooter and with a gun, shoots him right in the head. This reminds me of when I hit Marvel with my bow and arrows when he threw a spear at Rue. I still can't wrap my head to what has happened but my feet brings me to her side. I hold her hand as life escapes her. She's dead. Because of me. Sweet innocent Delly. Just living her childhood dream of travelling between Districts. She had the unfortunate luck of being in the same train as me. She survived the war, but not a train ride. Because of me. I start sobbing. Crying. Screaming. I have entered the world of hysteria. Gale and the other boy tries to get me off Delly but I just elbow them out of the way. My whole life is an arena in the Hunger Games. This is my final straw. I can't do this anymore. I see the knife on Gale's belt and I reach to grab it. I manage to take and just as I'm about to puncture it on my heart, someone grabs my knife and throws it away.

**A/N Another short but action filled chapter :) I have been so bad at updating, I'm sorry. I can't believe I got 450+ views! Thank you all for reviews/favs/follows as it encourages me to write more :) (If you haven't noticed, I love ending chapters with cliffhangers so expect more of that!)**


	6. Author's Note

_**Author's Note**_

**Hello everyone, right now I have a special project for school so I will be very busy for this week and the next one. I won't be releasing chapters very frequently. I hope you understand, see you soon.**

_~TributeWitch_


	7. Gone

**A/N Hello everyone! Thanks for your support and understanding. Here's a short little chapter **

"No!" I yell as I see Katniss take my knife. Troyan, a young boy who recently joined our squad team reaches for the knife that Katniss is holding and snatches it out of her hand before she gets another chance to do anything.

I have failed to protect Katniss again.

Me and Troyan drag her to the hovercraft. She's screaming, kicking and out of control. One of the members of the Medic team injects some sleep inducing thing in her arm and resting her on a stretcher and Delly in another. We go inside the hovercraft and I volunteer to take care of Katniss. It's the least I can do. I nearly let her die. I realize I haven't properly thanked Troyan yet. Katniss would've been dead without him.

I walk up to where he is sitting ''Hey, thanks, she would've been dead without you''

He shrugs, ''No problem, I know how it feels to lose someone.''

''Yeah, umm how are you coping with.. Your loss?''

Troyan is originally from District 7, his parents had a big role in the uprising there but the Capitol killed them.

''I'm okay, this job distracts me from all that''

''Well you're doing a great job for someone your age.''

''You're not much older than me, Hawthorne. Stop treating me like a little kid. I'm 17''

I nod and I walk back to my seat next to Katniss, who is still drugged up. I think about my family. I wonder what they're doing now...

_**VICK'S PARTY.**_

I forgot all about that. Dang it. I forgot to call them. Vick will be so disappointed. I feel like such an idiot.

''10 more minutes until landing.'' The speaker booming around us.

What will happen to Katniss when we get back? Surely she can't go back to District 12. She'll kill herself. What about Delly? She has no family left...

Once we land back in the hanger, the nurse tells me that they'll take care of Katniss in the hospital here until she gets... better. Or as good as she can be. That girl has been through so much. I don't blame her for acting like this.

I head straight home. It's like 8 and I'm pretty sure my family doesn't know what happened to me today.

I get home and I head to the dining room. Angry faces stare at me with disappointment clear in their faces. I explain what happened today, and they seem to understand. Vick still looks sour though.

Posy jumps up and down.

''Yay, yay, yay! We get to see Katniiiisss!'' Posy chants

I eat in silence while my mum tucks Posy in bed. Rory and Vick are in their bedroom chatting so I decide to talk to them. I miss having these normal boy talks with them. It feels just like out time in District 12. Before the rebellion. Before the all the deaths.

I head to my room and I decide to sleep early. I don't have work tomorrow, might as well sleep in.

I wake up and I hear my phone ringing. It's not even 5am yet. Why would anyone call? I pick up the phone.

''Hello?'' I mumble

''She's gone! She's gone!'' Preston shrieks at me

''Wait what?''

''Katniss. She's not in the hospital. She ran away''

A/N Hope you liked it :) Quick question, do you prefer short chapters but its updated 3 or 4 times a week, or longer chapters but only updated once a week. So far I have been doing option #1 but I wanna know what you guys like. 


	8. Escape

**A/N Beware. This chapter kinda sucks. A lot.**

When I wake up, I'm in a hospital. I think it's a hospital. It looks like a hospital.

Why am I here?

Oh yeah. I nearly killed myself. I wonder what drug they put me on so I slept.

This reminds me of when I was dragged out of the 75th Hunger Games arena and when I woke up in that hovercraft. And when I clawed Haymitch. What a happy memory.

There is a nurse near me but I'm calm and not in the mood to scream so I just stay silent. She sees that I'm awake,

"Hello Katniss, are you okay?

I nod.

"Are you sure? If you need any, any wittle help you can press that button there." She points at this huge red button

I nod again. I don't want to talk to someone who communicates to me like I am a 5 year old with a fever.

The only person I really want is Gale. That's why I came here, for him.

"When can I get out of here?" I croak out

"Oh not for a while dearie, we need to make sure you that you are better, your therapy starts tomorrow if you're up for it."

Oh yay.

I don't want therapy. If I wanted therapy then I would have talked with Dr Aurelius.

I go to sleep since there's nothing else to do.

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO oOoOoOoO-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

I wake up gasping and sweaty from a horrific nightmare. It was Prim and Rue's death repeated again and again, the innocent girls whom I love so much. They're dead. Because of me. I look around me and I see that all the tubes and wires and whatever they put on me is now gone. I'm just basically free.

It's still dark. I could maybe, just maybe run away. I haven't lost my hunter's tread yet. It should be a piece of cake. I hope.

I'm in my hospital gown which is just basically a sheet of paper. I look in the cupboard next to my bed and I find my clothes, I put them on. I know I'm being stupid, this whole thing of coming to District 2 is, but I frankly don't care. I need to find Gale.

Oh, I am so gonna regret this.

**A/N I'm so sorry I haven't posted for a while. I'm done with my project, but I'm kinda suffering from a writer's block since I don't really know what going to happen with this story. You know as much as I do. Bear with me please =)**


	9. Hovercraft

Today is Sunday.

Preston wouldn't let us look for Katniss yesterday, the hospital wanted to make sure that she was actually gone and not hiding in a random closet somewhere.

I am pretty sure she ran away, she always hated hospitals. I actually have no idea where she would be. Especially in District 2, she wouldn't know where to go. The only place I can think of is the woods in District 12 but how would she get there? The trains only come once a week. But I can't give up. I need to find Katniss whether she likes it or not. I know she ran away because she wanted to leave the hospital and not because she wants to be living alone in the forest forever.

When I open my eyes I see something moving in a corner of my room. It's probably just a trick of the light. It isn't.

''Hello?'' I ask, which is stupid, because if this was a burglar then they wouldn't answer.

''Gale" A soft voice murmurs,

the world spins around me, is this real? Is my Catnip really here?

"Katniss, is that you?"

She walks to my bed and sits next to me.

"Yes, it's me Gale"

"How, how did you get here?" I ask, completely speechless

"I have my people" She says with a smirk. "I used a hovercraft. Hovercraft. Hovercraf...Hovercra...Hover..."

I wake up suddenly, I look around my room. Katniss isn't here. It was all a dream. It was all a stupid dream.

I can't get it out of my head though, it was so weird. What did she say in the end? Hovercraft? What? My mind is all muddled up.

Hovercraft. They have emergency hovercrafts at the hospital. Wait.

She didn't. She couldn't! Katniss can be so daring but this is so out of her zone. My gut instinct tells me that she did do though, I know her better than anyone else.

I look at my watch and I see that it is 8 am. If I leave in an hour, I'll get there at 1pm with the hovercraft. Since you basically need no skills to fly a hovercraft it should be easy to get to District 12. I call Preston to tell him about the plan

"I need a hovercraft immediately." I say quickly

"Whoa, slow down. "Preston is the type of guy who likes to take things slow. To make sure everything is perfect before doing whatever. But this is urgent.

"I know how Katniss ran away. She stole one of the emergency hovercrafts from the hospital and flew back to District 12." I explain to Preston slowly

"And how do you know this..?"

"I know her better than her mum does." Really, this isn't an accomplishment. Almost everyone knows Katniss better than her mum but I don't bother to explain this.

"Are you sure, we can go to the hospital to check if one of the smaller hover crafts are missing."

"Preston! I NEED A HOVERCRAFT IMMEDIATELY AND I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME OR NOT. THERE IS NO TIME FOR CHIT CHAT." I yell at him, right now is not the time for perfect plans.

"Okay, okay. I'll get the hovercraft."

Since you only need to learn how to press a button in the hovercraft, we don't need any pilots. Preston does some adjustments so it takes us to District 12 in the fastest possible time while I think about Katniss.

What do I say to her when I see her? Will she forgive me? I should have thought this through. What if she didn't fly back to District 12 and all this time is wasted?

I realize I haven't informed my mum yet so I type up a text:

I'm on a mission. Love you.

I stare of the small window and my head is filled with questions. What was Katniss doing on the train? How did the Capitol Soldiers get in the train?

I continue to stare out before Preston says:

"What's up, Gale?"

This is one of the very first time that Preston has called me by my first name. I am shocked.

I shrug. What should I say? There are too many things in my head and my brain is all muddled up.

"The Mockingjay is your cousin right?" Preston inquires.

"We are not cousins." I say stiffly. "And don't call her that." I always hated the term

"What? Mockingjay?"

I nod.

Since me and Preston are not exactly talkative type we stay silent for most of the way. The speaker booms above us.

"You are approaching your destination." A robotic voice says.

We are flying over the woods near the District when I see a trail of smoke near us. I know who it is.

"Hawthorne, do you want to go down now via the rope ladder? I'll take care of the hovercraft. There's no place to land here."

I am pretty sure Preston just wants to leave me and Katniss together.

"Okay." I tell him

I take a deep breath and prepare myself for my meeting with Katniss.

**A/N I know a lot of you are waiting for the heart to heart talk that Katniss and Gale have and I promise you it will happen in the next chapter! I'll update more frequently now because I have a faint sense of direction of where this fic will go, please review/fav/follow if you enjoyed :) If you need me to clarify something, feel free to PM! (By the way, I'm not gonna write about Katniss' trip to District 12. That's up to you, the reader to determine what her challenges were :))**


	10. Embarrassment

As I climb down the rope ladder that will lead me to solid ground, I begin to doubt myself. Why would Katniss go back here, the District that would bring her the worst memories? What if it's not her? You're free to go beyond the fence now, if the fence still exists.

Once I reach the ground, all the happy memories come back to me. The times I spent with Katniss, hunting. This was the place that I could call home. But I guess I was and am too cowardly to come back. I see the small cabin house and lake that Katniss took me to, and I can see that the chimney is blowing out smoke.

I start picking up speed and eventually sprint to the little cabin. I slow down once I reach near it so I don't shock Katniss.

I walk in slowly.

But I don't see Katniss.

Instead, I see Peeta Mellark.

If I didn't stay for one more second then I could've maybe ran away and pretended this never happened, but he notices me and we make eye contact.

"Never thought I would see you again, after you fled to District 2 Hawthorne." Peeta says calmly.

I would have very much rather have him yell at me instead of being so calm. I have no idea what conditions Peeta is in. He could still be a crazy hijacked maniac or he could be a well-spoken, nice guy like he was before that happened.

"Yeah." I say. _Smooth Hawthorne_, I think to myself.

"What brings you here? Looking for Katniss?"

God, I'm sure he can read minds.

"No. Just visiting." I say shakily

"You're a bad liar, tell me what happened with her"

I explain to him what happened (from what I know of for certain), since there's no bother trying to cover up anything or make excuses.

He listens quietly, not interrupting me. Just when I'm finished telling me what happened and I'm ready to go, but there's one question that's been bothering me.

"Do you know why she went there? To District 2?" I inquire.

"To find you of course." He says, like it's the most obvious thing ever.

I quickly change the subject since I don't want hijacked Peeta to make an appearance. "And by the way, why do you have the fire on?"

The sun is shining and it's spring. There is no need for heat.

"I was going to bake some bread before you showed up," he points to a small table that has some dough on it.I hadn't noticed before as it sits in a dark corner.

"Well, I'll be going now I guess." I say

"Bye." He says coldly. "If you find Katniss, tell me okay?

"Okay. Bye." I mutter

I begin running to the rendezvous spot me and Preston agreed to so he can pick me up with the hovercraft. Immediately after I stop running I see the hovercraft approaching.

I will have to face Preston. To face embarrassment. The rope ladder comes right above me and I have to use all my strength to pull myself up. Normally we would've landed on the ground, but of course we are currently surrounded by trees and there is no place for landing.

Once I get in the hovercraft I say nothing. I'm too embarassed. Of course Katniss would have never come back here.

"She wasn't there?" Preston asks while grinning.

"No." I mutter.

"I knew it. Too...adventurous." He says

"Yeah." I'm not in the mood to talk. I'm drowning in a pool of embarrassment.

The rest of our trip is in silence. Just like our trip here.

But this gives me a chance to think, about Katniss. Where could she be? Did she really come to District 2 to see me?

When I get home, my mum is wearing the biggest smile ever and I can practically hear Posy jumping up and down. I am so grateful that I live with my family. My mum keeps suggesting that she and the kids move out so I can be more independent since I am 20. But I always refuse it. The only thing that makes me smile nowadays is Posy and occasionally Vick and Rory.

"Hey Gale, let's go inside and have dinner straight away, shall we?" She suggests and I nod. I didn't eat at all today and it's 6 o'clock now.

I practically gasp out loud when I see who is at the dinner table.

Katniss.

She looks up and I see the distant look in her eyes. I remember the time, before she was a tribute, before the rebellion how much fierceness and fire her eyes held. But now they are empty. We make eye contact and some of her spark is still there, but barely. It hurts me so much to see her like this.

"I want to play with Katniss! Katniss come to my room! It's pink! I'm a princess!" Posy babbles

"Sure Posy, I would love to see it." Katniss says calmly

I am so glad for Posy right now. I need a few minutes to compose myself before I talk to Katniss.

"Gale! Vick! Rory!, come here. I have your dinner." I hear my mum say.

Halfway through my dinner, Katniss and Posy come back down and joins us as we eat in silence.

When I get up to put my plate away my mum says:

"Gale, why don't you take Katniss for a walk in the park?"

I'm not sure if I want to or not, but I accept her suggestion since it would be rude to decline. And I also have a billion questions to ask her.

Katniss hesitates, but she eventually says yes.

This will either be horrible, awkward or amazing.

**A/N I'm so sorry for being such a bad updater lol. I had to recover from the heart attacks I got after/during watching the Catching Fire trailer. I AM SO EXCITED OMGGG! Now what do I until November besides watching the trailer again and again? (btw that galeniss kiss omg, my heart)**

**PS: Please don't hate me, I know I said the heart to heart talk would be in this chapter but the trailer made me have so many Galeniss feels, I got this idea and it would also be kind of hard for me to fit it in the story line. I hope you understand, but I promise, promise to have the talk in the next chapter!**

**Review/Fav/Follow if you enjoyed this even though I broke a promise :P**


	11. The Talk

Dun dun dun! This is the chapter you guys are looking forward to! I can guarantee you that there is "the talk" :). Inevitably, there is a lot of talking so I'm sorry that there isn't much explaining or thoughts or change in sceneries in here. Enjoy!

I do not own The Hunger Games since I'm not Suzanne Collins (I think ;))

~Hazelle's POV~  
I am preparing dinner whilst Rory is helping Vick with his homework and Posy playing dress up. Even after 1 year of living here, in District 2, I am still not used to all these luxuries. I try not to take things for granted, but it's a little bit hard not to since you know you or your children won't be going to bed with a rumbling stomach. Everyday I worry for Gale since his mission are more often then not, dangerous. I still remember when 10 months ago he nearly got killed on his first rescue assignment. As I am stirring the soup, the doorbell rings. Ah, Gale's mission must have been a minor one if he is home this early.  
I walk to the door ready to greet my son but instead I see a disheveled-looking Katniss. To be honest, I kind of expected this. I knew Katniss would not just throw away years of friendship that she had with Gale, but I did not expect her to look so... disarranged.

"Hello Mrs Hawthorne." She says, dreamily.

"Katniss! What brings you here?" I say, trying to get her to be more cheerful. "And call me Hazelle, we are not formal people,"

"Okay, Hazelle. I came here to see Gale, is he here?" Katniss says, but I can't help but notice the stiffness in her voice. I can't imagine how much she's gone through. 2 arenas, a war and Prim. I do not blame Gale for what has happened and I never did. Even though there is a chance that he designed it, he never intended it to be used, especially to kill children. I tell Gale that all the time, yet he still blames himself.

"Gale is still at work dear, but I think he'll back soon."

"Okay, I'll come back later."

"Don't be silly!" I exclaim. "Come and stay here, Posy has been missing you lately. I'm sure she'll love to play with you!"

Katniss nods and she steps in. Posy runs down the hallway and immediately sees Katniss. Posy's face immediately brights up.

"Kitty Katniiisss!" Posy yells and runs towards Katniss with her arms open wide, ready for a hug.

Katniss puts a smile on her face, the first one I've seen. She kneels down and hugs Posy.

"I have my own room now Katniss! It's pink, like a princess!" Posy babbles on, "Do you wanna go up and see? Let's go!"

I object immediately, by the looks of it, Katniss is exhausted and in need of rest. "No Posy. Later. Right now Katniss needs to relax. She's very tired."

"Aww, but can she go there later?" Posy sulks.

"Of course honey." I reply

Posy runs off and returns to whatever she was doing before. I consult Katniss.

"Do you want anything? Do you want to eat, or take a shower?"

"I'm not hungry, but I guess I'll go and shower. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure dearie."

~Gale's POV (continuing the part where it ended in the last chapter)~

I wait for Katniss to finish her meal and then we head outside. The park is around 10 minutes away and we can either walk up there in silence or actually speak to each other.

We walk in silence.

The sun is still shining bright once we get there because it is basically summer already. I break the silence since I know Katniss won't and it would also waste less time.

"So... What brings you here?" I inquire. I walk towards a bench under a huge willow tree and Katniss follows.

"I came to apologise. For.. umm blaming you." She stutters. "It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry I acted that way."

"Did you umm persuade Delly to come with you?"

Tears fall out of Katniss' eyes, she probably feels guilty for Delly's death even though it's not her fault.

"No, it was a coincedence. She lives, I mean lived in District 4." Katniss mumbles. "She was touring the districts. She just had the unfortunate luck to be in the same train as me."

"Oh,"

"It's all my fault Gale! My fault! All the lives that the rebellion took, it was all my fault. I should have just swallowed those berries!" Katniss yells. She is sobbing violently and I carefully place my hands hers. Then she does something unexpected; she hugs me and cries into my chest.

I hug her back and soothe her. I was expecting her to shove my hand away or punch me. This reminds me of the time when I said goodbye to her before she was whisked away to the Capitol.

"I missed you," I whisper into her hair. It still smells like the woods back in District 12.

"Do you know where they took her? Her body?" Katniss asks. She has stopped crying, but her face is still wet. I've only ever seen her like this, so innocent and fragile a few times before.

"I heard them talking about bringing her body back to District 12, but I'm not really sure. They could take her to 4 as well. They're kind of having a dilemma since her parents are...umm..gone."

She nods.

"I am so sorry. "

"For what?" She wipes her tears away and she looks into my eyes with her gray ones, identical to mine.

"My bomb... Prim." I stutter.

"I've stopped blaming you, so you should stop blaming yourself." Katniss says firmly.

"You should stop blaming yourself for the deaths of the people in the war." I say. She should practice what she preaches. I know for a matter of fact that I will never be able to stop blaming myself. And I also know that she won't stop blaming herself. It's always going to stay with you, until the day you die.

She nods and there is a few moments of awkward silence between us. I suggest that we head back and she agrees. The walk back is in silence, once again.

Once we get home Posy begs Katniss to play with her again. Of course Katniss accepts. Inevitably, Katniss is staying here with us for the night, but Mother eventually persuades her to stay for at least another week.

~2 hours pass~

"Gale, can you tell Posy that it's her bedtime?" My mother asks.

"Sure".

I walk upstairs to Posy's bright pink room. I remember her face when she walked in after I finished painting it. She couldn't stop smiling for 3 days. I knock on the door to see Posy putting make up on an uncomfortable looking Katniss.

"It's bedtime, Pose." I say.

"Noooo! I want to play with Katniss!" Posy sulks.

"I think it's my bedtime too, Posy. Aren't you tired? I certainly am." Katniss says. I am so grateful she said that, because if she didn't, it would be impossible to get Posy into bed.

"Okay then. Can we play tomorrow Katniss?" Posy asks.

"Sure Posy." Katniss says brightly.

I take Posy to the bathroom and then I tuck her in, reading a bedtime story to her about a princess called Posy (it was really Cinderella, but I changed the name to Posy when I read it out loud).

I decide to check on Katniss, to make sure she's okay. I knock on the guest room's door which is her room for now. I peek in and I see her reading a book or something.

"Goodnight, I love you." The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.

There you have it guys! Katniss was a little bit OOC but everyone has a soft/fragile side in them right? Fav/Follow/Review? Can we get 50 reviews by the next chapter?

(By the way, I imagine Posy looking sort of like Bailee Madison in Bridge to Terabithia if you care lol.)


	12. Special Mission

**A/N There's more talking and general sassiness in this chapter, so beware.. *smirks***

Things were starting to warm up between me and Katniss before I spluttered the 'I love you'. After I said it I immediately rushed to my room before she can say anything and also to hide from embarrassment. I can maybe make up an excuse saying something like I was thinking of Posy or something but Katniss would know that I am lying. I mean she knows me better than anyone else.

I am so glad that today is Monday, so I can go to work and not have to face her. Thankfully Katniss is not awake yet. It is going to be so awkward between us. I don't want it to be awkward. Ugh, I hate myself.

_~ooOOoo~_

Today is a normal type of day at work. No missions, just some training and meetings and file sorting. When it is nearing the end of the day, Preston calls me into his office which is around 5 times bigger than mine and is the size of what used to be my home in District 12 before it got burned down. When I walk in, his face is stern. This is very unusual since Preston is always happy-go-lucky and I immediately think 'what did I do wrong?'.

I sit on the chair opposite and he begins talking immediately.

"I have a very special mission for you, Hawthorne. But it will take time." Preston says sternly. I need to keep my laughs in because it is so ridiculous seeing him all serious. I remember the first time I was introduced to him and he was basically jumping around like a 5 year old.

"It sounds intriguing, Preston." I say.

"We are led to believe that there is a secret organization consisting of previous Capitol soldiers who have either escaped prison or disguised themselves as innocent. The attack on that train, it was no coincidence. It was no coincidence that I was in that train with Katniss and it just happened to be the one that they were in there. It was all planned down. Other district representatives have reported some other cases which were similar to this; people who were significant to the rebellion have either been attacked or kidnapped." Preston says slowly, so I can take it all in.

"And..and you want me to track them down?" I say, even though it is pretty obvious that I will.

"You. And maybe some other people. But mainly you. I've already set up a research team for this mission so you're kinda in for the action part."

"Hmm.. Okay, so you don't think I'm smart enough to track them down? Am I just there for the attacks and stuff?" I say, since I am pretty offended. He's basically saying that I am the one to do the stunts whilst the others use their brains.

"No. Not because of that, I just don't want to waste time. I'm not saying that you can't help with the tracking down, but you will have a whole team to help you so you are not overwhelmed." Preston says. I'm still offended but I let it go. There's no use arguing since he has already set up the team.

"Sure, I'll do it." I mean what harm could it be? Wait, no. It is dangerous but it really is not much different than my usual missions.

"No. I want you to think about it. Inform your mother. I really want you to think about since this is probably your biggest assignment as of yet. It may sounds easy, but it isn't."

"I think I'm old enough to make decisions without asking my mother, but sure. I'll think about it. But the answer will always be yes." I confess.

_~ooOOoo~_

Once I get home I explain everything to my mother. Of course she is supportive since she doesn't want more people to get hurt. It's actually my siblings who are worried.

"No, Gale! You're gonna get hurt! Stay here, please?" Vick pleads.  
"No, Gayul! Who's gonna play with me if you go?" Posy cries, since I am probably not going to be in this district during the mission.  
"Yeah, Gale. You shouldn't go." Rory mutters, this is one of the only times he has spoken to me.  
"How are we gonna know how you are? If you're safe?" Vick begs again.

"It's going to be okay, guys! It's just a normal mission, but I'm just not going to be home." I say, trying to persuade them.

"Maybe I should go too, for help." Katniss mutters. That's the first thing she says to me since you-know-what happened. I am beyond shocked. She's just a frail and fragile girl.

"Are you crazy Katniss? These guys are ruthless! You can't go fighting them! They will hate you especially!" I shriek. From the corner of my eye, I see my mother ushering the kids out of the living room so I can talk/yell to Katniss privately.

"I have survived 2 Hunger Games, a war and the death of my loved ones! Don't you think I can do this? This is how I will pay back the ones I've killed! I owe them so much!" She yells back. God, we probably sound like an old married couple. We might as well be, for how long we've known each other.

I just stand there, silently. Because I don't know what to say. All these points she's making, they are absolutely true.

"What else is there to do for me at home, Gale? Just staying in front of my fireplace in my pajamas and sulking? I have nothing to do! Absolutely nothing!" She says, quietly and slowly because she knows that will make more of an impact.

Right then, I know I've lost the argument. I also know that she's a stubborn little girl who always gets what she wants.

"Fine. But I don't know if Preston will agree." I respond.

"He will. You know that I was stuck in a stuffy little cupboard with him for more than an hour, right? He's not a complete stranger to me."

Will this bring me closer or further away from Katniss?

**A/N Did I just turn this into an action fic? I think I did. I just finished reading Divergent so it really inspired me to do this (with Tris and Four's relationship and everything). I had two options: to make Gale and Katniss fall in love with lots of fluff and unrealisticness, or this (spoiler alert: they'll still fall in love)**

**As always, Fav/Follow/Review!**

**(I'm going on holiday so Tuesday's chapter will be delayed. (Chapters will come out on Tuesdays and Fridays from now on, if I can keep to the schedule :P))**


	13. I Am A Man

**A/N: This is going to get deep. Or as deep as I can write.**

Of course he said yes.

Sometimes I forget that Preston is from the Capitol. That he's used to glitz and glamour, and fulfilling a Hunger Game victor's wishes. Everything Katniss said was true, I admit. There's nothing she can do back home. But that doesn't make me want to put her in danger.

I haven't told her yet, but right now there isn't much time for lovey-dovey stuff. There's a lot of training to do, especially for Katniss who is so out of shape.

Since District 2 is the security and weaponry supplier now in Panem, it would make no sense for the secret organization of ex-Capitol Soldiers, who we've decided to call Team CaSo as a secret code thing, to be here . The research guys have somehow found what is believed to be the headquarters (in district 3) and we have a double agent in the team, so everything is going pretty good. I hope. Everything is top secret, only the people who are involved in this mission and their relatives know about this. It feels like District 13 again, training for war. It's bringing in painful memories of the past. Every so often Katniss would have a panic attack and go hysterical, and I have to (awkwardly) comfort her. The rebellion has left scars on our hearts, that will never heal. Whilst I have scars from guilt, Katniss has slashes of trauma, devastation and.. everything, I can only sympathise and I hate it.

Our attack is planned for next week, so me and Katniss are quite prepared for anything. I just..wished I had more time to talk to her. Tell her my true feelings, instead of having to hide it.

As time passes, the more I realize how much I truly love her. Even though her smiles are hard to come by, when they are there it's like brightness and radiance right in front of you. Before I know it, I am falling for her again. And I will probably have my heart broken, but I can't help it. Maybe this is what it would have been like, our time in District 13 without Peeta on her mind. I can't wait for this mission to be over, so I can finally express my feelings to her. But we can't afford that distraction right now. Even if she accepts it or not, as it will only lead to interruption.

Panem is at it's peak, things are going great for us. Paylor is a great president, but I can't help but think that when her time is over, this dictatorship is not going to end well. It's going to e Snow, all over again. It's among discussion on what this country's government will be lead on, but all is well for now.

I am still living with my family, but I can't bear the thought me leaving to another District temporarily. And neither can they. But it's inevitable and I think the right choice for me is to move out after this mission. All this training has made me think. I am not a boy. I am a man.

**A/N I am so sorry! This is the shortest chapter I have ever written for HSFH, but this is all I can manage for now. My exams are coming soon, so there isn't much time for fics. Also the fact that the last chapter had only 1 review made me really unmotivated (hint,hint!) As always, thanks for reading and Fav/Follow/Review if you enjoyed! :)**


	14. The Day

**A/N Okay..You guys get your wish.**

~Katniss' POV~

Today is the day. In the two months that we have been training, I haven't had much time to think about my feelings. For Gale especially. It's been so hectic and chaotic and everything. I just can't process anything, and to be honest, I don't really want to. It'll make me more confused about him. All this training has (thankfully) distracted me from Gale. I want to tell him that I actually just came here to see him...but. But what? Am I scared of rejection? Or maybe what will happen _after_ I tell him. Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better if I didn't volunteer for Prim. She died anyway and it was for nothing. She's dead. Maybe me and Gale would've lived a happy life. Or as happy as we could be in Panem.

After today, I have nothing to look forward to. Nothing to use as an excuse as to why I'm still staying in District 2. Unless I can somehow persuade Preston to give me a job or something. Should be a piece of cake. Preston treats me like a little girl, and just gives me what I want. And I surprisingly like it. He's still a Capitolite at heart, without the barbaric parts.

'Okay Katniss. Remember the plan. You go to the back exit and use the wood to block it whilst Gale goes to the front entrance and lock them in. Then you signal the hovercraft.' I think to myself.

We can't afford any mistakes. All the districts are depending on this mission for the safety of Panem, who knows how big this group is? There could be hundreds, even thousands that are somehow connected. Or double agents or something.

From what we know, there is only a few dozen or so. I hope that's true. If not, me and Gale might not come out of there alive. A hundred people can have the power to start another uprising, to bring the old Capitol back into power. If they are as ruthless as their ancestors. Everything now is so weak. Panem are merely humans who have been crushed by a collapsing building, spent centuries trying to dig out, and right now, we are just adjusting to the sunlight and trying to stand on our feet independently. We are fragile, but we will not be broken.

I walk into the small hovercraft with Gale next to me. He sets everything up so that the vehicle brings us close to the empty warehouse that was used to store electronic devices before they were shipped off to the Capitol, but now serves as a headquarters for the Capitol Soldiers. Thankfully, to avoid burglary, there are only two entrances, no windows and virtually no way to exit unless you go through entrances. This makes it perfect for a headquarters for an undercover team but also a fatal flaw in the case of being 'hostaged'. It's not really a hostage case, but that's the only way I can describe it. We are locking them in and eventually arrest them. However there will be no superhero that will save them.

Yes, I feel guilty. But I am doing this for Panem and for Prim. For the people I've killed, directly or indirectly.

Preston and some other people are behind us on a different hovercraft which is massive, and incredibly high tech. Ready to capture Team CaSo. To be honest, I personally think that name is ridiculous. But whatever floats Preston's boats.

The rest of the journey goes by as a blur. Gale just stays by the front (or the 'cockpit' as Preston calls it) for the whole journey, probably because he does not want to engage in a conversation with me. It's been so weird between us after he said 'I love you' to me. I know that it is probably word vomit or he thought that I was Posy or something. But still. It's weird.

Because hovercrafts are so smart or whatever, it always gives an alert to remind you that you'll be landing 15 minutes and to go back to your seat.

I am absolutely terrified of hovercraft rides, so most of the time I just sit. I see Gale getting up from his seat at the front and walking towards me. He sits in front of me and I can see that he is considering to say something and after 20 seconds of self conflict, he mutters, "Katniss, if I don't get out of here alive, I want you to know..To know that I really am sorry for…Prim."

"Gale." I say, so many things race through my mind but I can only mutter his name.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry and I will regret it for the rest of my life and probably even after it." He bellows.

"Gale...First of all, you- we will come out of this alive. We've trained for this mission as much as we could! We memorised the floorplan, and we have everything planned down. It's okay," I assure him. "We don't even know if it's your bomb! It could've been Beetee or dozens of other men working that worked with him! Stop blaming yourself for things you aren't even sure about! Even if it is your bomb, Coin was the one who decided to use them and she's dead! She's dead!" I scream, and before I know it tears are coming out of my eyes.

What worse timings for an argument. Right before the most important mission for Panem. And I think Gale is crying too. After around an eternity of silence (which is actually 2 minutes) Gale starts talking again.

"Katniss...I'm sorry." He mumbles.

"For what? I was the one who screamed at you. I'm sorry. I'm being a hypocrite. I can't forgive myself for killing Glimmer and Marvel and for inciting a rebellion and killing random people to save my sister. You know why you're special Gale? I fought to save my sister. Peeta fought to save me. But you fought for everyone. You wanted to free the districts from the Capitol, that was your goal. I just wanted to save one person, but in the end it was for nothing. I was a selfish idiot, who didn't care for anyone. I had to kill so many people, and people killed others and it was all my-"

He shuts me up with a kiss.

**A/N Please don't throw tomatoes at me! I'm sorry, but I cannot resist the urge to end with cliffhangers (but are you happy? They kissed!(!))**


	15. Surprise, Miss Mockingjay

Our kiss is interrupted by a robotic voice booming through the speakers.

"Prepare for landing".

I stare into Gale's charcoal gray eyes while the hovercraft descends. I realise I haven't properly acknowledged how important Gale was to me. He was more than just a hunting partner, he was my best friend. Basically a part of me, my other half.

"I love you." I say, without hesitation. Because I do love him, I was just oblivious to it for a long time.

A smile spreads across his face and it turns into a cheeky grin. "I know," I am just about to get offended, but then I realise it's what I said to him, 2 years ago.

"Hey!" I say playfully, teasing him.

"I love you too, but you already know that." He smirks.

I feel the hovercraft landing on the smooth surface of the forest floor. Earlier this month, our team has been cutting down trees so that we could have a nice clearing for a hovercraft landing. As I said before, everything has been planned out to a T. We just need to do it, the plan is basically foolproof. Since Beetee has moved back to his home district of 3, he has been a sort of insider. We are just operating under his genius brain. At first it was hard for me to look him in the eye since he definitely had taken part in making the bomb that killed my beautiful little sister, but I have learned to forgive and forget.

Preston and Co. will be circling over our heads invisibly, ready to capture the bad guys.

Me and Gale will have to walk for half an hour to the gray, dirty and abandoned warehouse and then proceed with our plans. Landing in front of the warehouse would be a stupid mistake.

Even though this is my first time here, I have the walk completely memorised, thanks to the super amazing computer in which you can take a virtual walk through anywhere. I still haven't gotten used to all the technology yet, but I managed.

I don't mention the kiss in fear that I might get distracted, and Gale doesn't mention it either, so we end up walking in silence.

Halfway through the walk me and Gale split up to follow the plan. I have dreaded this moment. The moment I have to go alone, with no one to defend me. Except for maybe Preston circling in the air. But I don't think that counts.

"Gale..."

"Catnip. I'll see you on the other side, okay?" He says quietly.

"What if you or I... don't make it?" I replied.

Gale lets out a stiff laugh and stares into my eyes.

"Weren't you the one who assured me earlier that we'll make it?"

"I know..but what if?" I mumbled.

"Hey, don't say that." Gale assures. He points to the sky and I look up. "Preston is above us, remember? Don't be worried, we'll make it, I promise."

I nod and he gives me a quick kiss, I'm pretty sure it could have been longer, but Preston watching our every move makes me go our separate ways.

As I walk further, the number of trees decrease. Over time, I begin to see all the new glass buildings of District 3 in the distance. It actually looks pretty advanced, compared to District 12's new buildings. I guess we just want to stick with our pre-bombing look.

I approach the gray warehouse and I find that it is much bigger than I intended it to be. It's the size of a factory. There could be hundreds of people in there.

I realise that worrying will not help, it will only make it worse.

_I proceed with the plan._

_Take wood from the pile near the door._

_Start blocking the entrance._

_Set a trap for those who might have escaped._

_Find Gale without being seen._

_Give a signal to Preston._

The things I have to do is nothing compared to Gale. We made it so simple since I am..weak. I realise that once I block this door, I will not only lock Team CaSo in, but Gale as well. I wonder how my mother is doing, how Annie is doing, how Johanna is doing and how Peeta is doing as well. I hate it when I have time to myself, because guilt rushes in.

The rebellion has affected us all, but who has had the worst injury? Some may think that it is me, but it's just because I was in the spotlight.

But don't let the bright lights blind you.

I'm done. It took longer than I thought it would, considering the fact that I just needed to hammer some wood in a door frame and setting a simple snare. But it doesn't matter, I'm just going to have to wait a shorter time for Gale.

I make my way around the warehouse carefully, so I'm not seen. The prisoners must suspect something now, if they're smart. And if they managed to hijack a train and find me, then they are. But considering the fact that they chose a building with only two exits as their headquarters, they might just be a little bit stupid.

Getting in unnoticed will be easy, but the hard part is getting out. I remember when I went to school and my teacher taught us about these silly myths our ancestors told. Gods from an ancient civilization. Everyone thought it was stupid, but I was genuinely interested, which was a big surprise since I am never interested in anything. I am going into the underworld of Hades, and escaping will be next to impossible*.

I sneak into the warehouse, and I see a very small red 'X' on the side of the door. Good, that indicates that Gale made it this far. I never realised how much secret codes can help.

The warehouse is just one long hallway with various rooms connecting from it. The second and third floor is identical, but we (a.k.a Research Team) strongly suspect (or hope) that it's not being used.

I pass all the rooms carefully, keeping my eye out for Gale. Once I find him, we can signal for Preston to come.

Surprisingly, I don't encounter a soul. Which makes me both anxious and happy. Anxious because this might have been for nothing. What if our suspicions are wrong? What if this is just an abandoned warehouse? Another possibility is that they might be hiding somewhere to attack me and Gale. Happy because I don't need to attack anyone.

All the doors along the hallway are open but the one at the end is closed. It's right next to the staircase and the door frame around it is rotting away.

I open the door to find my worst nightmare.

Gale is strapped tightly with a thick on a chair, a man wearing a black mask which conceals his identity. A gun is rested on Gale's right temple, ready to shoot through his brain.

"Did you think it would be that easy, Miss Mockingjay?" A deep voice booms.

**A/N- I KNOW I'M REALLY SORRY BUT I JUST LOVE CLIFFHANGERS.**

**Remember to review/fav/follow! Everytime I see a notification from in my email it always makes my day and it reminds me to write, so feedback, favs etc are greatly appreciated!**

iknowiamareallybadupdaterbutletsnottalkaboutthat

*-yes I know that it will be highly implausible for the future to remember about Greek gods but I just re-read the Percy Jackson series again and I couldn't resist putting this here :P


	16. Dead

Remember when I got shot? The bullet never hit me, but the pain was immense.

It feels exactly like this, maybe even worse. But I'm not really being hurt this time. Not physically, but mentally. My loved ones are slowly being ripped away from me. One by one.

But the fact that I do not love many people makes it easier for me to break down. Easier for them to be taken away, when there are less souls to be victims.

I stare at Gale and the gun. A pull of a finger is enough to take a life. A move of a hand can end my life instead of Gale's.

Our plans were so faultless that we did not bother to think- what if someone did not follow the it. It's like one of those times when you plan a whole argument with someone and you are prepared with many great comebacks. But they don't follow the script. And you are left disappointed.

"So.. Come on. When are you two going to start persuading me to kill you instead of the other?'' The masked man inquires. He has read my mind, and probably Gale's too. It's just very cliche for someone to offer their life so their lover can live. And it is very expected for me and Gale to do it. This is exactly what our attackers wants. Us begging for mercy.

I make eye contact with Gale and through his facial expressions I can see that he telling me not to. I nod. I won't give anyone who wants to kill Gale, the satisfaction of me begging.

"Come on Mockingjay.. Beg. Or this bullet will go straight through his head.'' He says, glaring at me. He clicks the bullet into place and I start properly panicking.

I open my mouth ready to beg at his mercy but Gale sees it and cuts me off.

"Don't call her that!" He hisses.

"Well well well, it seems that your boyfriend doesn't like your nickname, Miss Mockingjay." He says, emphasising on it even more. "Oh yeah, where is the crazy boy? The one who..choked you? I've missed the star crossed lovers of District 12."

"He's fine. And he's not crazy. It was the Capitol who hijacked him. It was your people." I snapped. I feel strangely defensive.

"Oh yes, I remember. Infact, I was one of the people who helped." He says with a smirk. I feel my blood boiling and I have to resist scratching his face off because the gun is still resting on Gale's head.

"You helped?" Gale blasted.

The man turns to face and I press an emergency button on my belt to alert Preston. He must suspect something by now, since we've taken a great amount of time.

"Who are you, huh? You're too scared to show your identity!" Gale yells, his face is red and he is furious.

The man rips off his mask.

"My name is Zoristarus Snow. The son of Coriolanus Snow . Former President of Panem. But I suspect you already know that." He says with a wicked grin.

Me and Gale gasp. But I am making the most noise. After all, we are facing a creature made by Snow and a lover. From what I can see, Zoristarus is in his mid- 20s. His eyes are so blue that they are blinding, but they have an evil look and his hair is a chestnut brown. His grin turns into a grimace and I see the evilness spreading through his face.

"You're both going to be dead anyways, so why should I bother conceal my identity?" He confesses.

Snow's wife (if he had one) was never revealed to the public, but everyone knew he had children. A rich man like himself could never resist a string of lovers. Nobody knew his family, or any relatives, but his mansion is so huge that it is basically a world by itself in there.

"Hey..let's make a deal, why don't you let her go and take me?" Gale asks boldly.

Zoristarus ignores him completely. He looks into my eyes, but they're not focused. It's like he is staring right past me.

"At the tender age of five, I was shipped off to District 2 to be trained as a Peacekeeper. Who sends a five year old to train to be a Peacekeeper? My father. He had my mother killed for simply giving birth to me. I hate him." He says harshly. I'm beginning to see hope. What if we manage to persuade him to let us go?

"If you hated your father, why are you doing this to us? What's the point?" I declared.

"Just because we have mutual enemies does not make us friends, Katniss. Hasn't your mom taught you that? Oh wait, she left you." He taunted.

Furious. That's what I am. Absolutely furious. I am tempted to just snatch the gun out of his hand and kick him but a slip of his finger can pull the trigger and end Gale's life. We need to stop playing and start stopping this homicidal maniac.

'Come on Preston. Just come fast.' I think to myself.

My leg is falling asleep, but I can't move. The bullet will shoot through Gale's head.

My plan is to distract Zoristarus so time goes by faster. "So, what was your contribution to the rebellion?" I inquire. Lets just hope he isn't catching on to my plan.

"Well, I did not have very much contribution. I was an innocent medical doctor living a normal life in District 2 when the President of Panem contacted me. He told me he wanted me to concoct a special liquid that can be used to hijack people. I didn't know who my victims would be, why he chose me, but I accepted the offer since he was willing to pay a lot. At that time, I was so sure that the Capitol was going to win the war, that I did not even bother to think what the consequences were." He begins to explain. I actually am interested in the story. I want to know as much about the Snows as I can, even if the information is useless to me.

"So you didn't know he was your father?" Gale asks.

"No."

Gale snorts. Zoristarus glares at him and for a moment I think he's going to pull the trigger. But he doesn't.

"I was soon transported to the Capitol where I spent a lot of time with Peeta. I doubt he remembers me but I still remember the sounds of his screams." He says with a smile.

I'm going to choke him.

"A few days before the rebels won the war, I learnt the truth. About my father."

I open my mouth to say something but the next thing happens too fast.

Preston comes up behind me and shoots Zoristarus right in the heart. Just before he falls, he presses the trigger and it hits Gale on his arm. Better than his head, but still. Gale is wounded.

I freeze.

I guess I'll never find out why Zoristarus hates me.

I'm paralysed for minute, trying to in everything that has happened. The sight of Gale sliding down his chair is enough to snap me out of my dream and bring me to my senses.

I run to him and helps him out, with Preston helping me.

I give Gale a quick peck on his lips.

"I'm sorry I took so long, I had to get all the other people in Team CaSo out first." Preston explains.

Gale puts his unwounded arm around Preston and we manage to drag him out to the hovercraft, where a team of medics awaits us.

"How many were there?" I mutter.

"How many what?" Says Preston.

"People in Team CaSo."

"A fair dozen. But they were all weak." He answers. A mixture of guilt and proudness rushes over me. We attacked the weak but we led Panem out of another possible rebellion.

The doctors fix a bandage around Gale's arm swiftly. He walks over to me and Mr Lance Preston. I realise I've never called Preston by his first name. I wonder if he likes it.

"What do you prefer, Lance or Preston?" I ask.

"Preston." Gale and Lance say at the same time.

"Oh yeah, what about that question I asked you before?" I say.

"You've asked me many questions to me before, Miss Everdeen," He joked.

"About me staying in 2 for a while. Helping Gale or something." I responded.

"You still want to do that after this? I'm scarred for life Catnip!" Gale teased.

"Of course. I'm never short of danger." I noted.

"Sure thing, honey!" Preston cheered.

"Don't call me that!"

* * *

_The end of 'Her Search for Happiness'_

* * *

Hello hello hello!

I'm sorry about not warning you sooner, but unfortunately this fic has come to an end! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed etc for joining me on my journey of writing my first fanfic!

I'm sorry it took me nearly 2 weeks to update, but I wanted to make sure this chapter was perfect. It was the hardest thing for me decide on an ending (it includes: Gale dying, Katniss dying, Preston dying and a hostage situation) but I think I chose the right one.

I have some ideas for a sequel, but they won't be up until around July-August time (so follow this story or me to be notified of when that happens).

Again, thanks to everyone who provided me ideas, encouraged me, gave me constructive criticism etc.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it (even through the various writer's blocks)

~TributeWitch


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